You will have to forgive my piratical compatriots. They often speak in piratese, which is not always easy to understand.

If you are willing to spend larger amounts of your pillaged booty (money) I would recommend finding someone who makes costumes for a local theatre and have them help you determine the particular outfit(s) you want and work out a cost from there. Should you want to spend loads of gold, and you have a professional theatre or very good college theatre department in your area, you can try that.

Otherwise, Goodwill or other thrift stores can be a good source for frilly blouses. Trousers may be a bit more difficult, but you can eke by with a pair of black, brown, or other non-blue jeans (not faded). You might also try loose fitting yoga pants.

ebay may be a source for some accessories, but it can be hard to tell the quality of the items you are attempting to purchase, much less the fit.

You may also see if there are any RenFairs, SCA events, or other historical reenactment type groups/events occuring in your area.

I'm fairly handy with a sewing machine and often fabric/crafts stores will have bolts of fabric that are not expensive (sometimes as little as 50cents or a dollar a yard) that can be a good source for materials for pirate themes---- remember loud colors, prints, stripes, muslin, white or off white cotton are always good pirate choices.
If you just can not sew a straight line then try some of the "cheats"on the market such as no-sew-hem- it's like a glue for fabric just cut and glue, heavy duty fabric facing can work as well.

also look through crafts books for ideas-- most that are put out by the big companies like Simplicity are full of Halloween costume ideas right now and the patterns are easy to get and run around $10-$15 each.

I've made friends with a retired professor at my university that used to be head of the costume shop and Oh the joy I've had in rooting through the storage round here-- with permission and all - not just to get stuff but to get ideas and copy patterns and all. So that route has been fairly thrifty for me.

For the accesories you have to really think outside the box or spend money--- be creative, try different things and see what happens.

My mantra
Just save the farkin Gorillas will you! They don't have spell check- but they do need YOU/US...
www.gorillafund.org

I Ned Speil Cheek!!!!!!!!

I'm *not* the lowest rank on this ship. What about the laboratory mice? I tell them something and they jump straight to it. "Yes, Mr. Lister Sir, eek,eek."